1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of this invention relate generally to systems for shooting practice, and more particularly to a proxy target system configured for allowing two or more persons to engage in a shootout with one another without any risk of injury or death.
2. Description of Related Art
By way of background, shooting ranges provide environments in which users can be trained in the use of weapons or can refine weapons use skills. At such shooting ranges, users may train with conventional firearms, such as pistols and rifles, or may sometimes even use a variety of alternative weapons, such as bows and arrows. Regardless of the types of weapons used, shooting ranges typically include a shooting zone in which the shooter is positioned. The shooter then projects some form of projectile from the shooting zone toward a target positioned downrange in a target zone. For example, a shooter may fire a pistol from a shooting zone toward a “bull's-eye” paper target. Similarly, a participant may fire arrows from a shooting zone toward a pin cushion-type target.
To improve the realism of the weapons familiarization process and to provide a more lifelike experience, a variety of approaches have been suggested to make shooting ranges more realistic. For example, some shooting ranges provide paper targets with threatening images, rather than “bull's-eye” targets. In attempts to present a more realistic scenario to the shooter, in order to provide an interactive and immersive experience, some shooting ranges have replaced such fixed targets with animated video images, typically projected onto a display screen; the animated images presenting moving targets and/or simulated return threats toward which the shooter fires.
While such approaches may provide improved visual approximations of actual situations, as compared to stationary paper targets, these approaches lack any threat of retaliation. A participant is, thus, less likely to react in a realistic fashion. Furthermore, such animated video images, while providing the shooter with moving targets, are nevertheless typically incapable of providing the level of unpredictability and improvised behavior that a live target, be it human or animal, can provide. For obvious reasons, shooters cannot practice shooting at live, human targets using lethal weapons, given the extremely high risk of injury or death it would create.
Rather than limiting themselves to the unrealistic experiences of shooting at simulated targets, some shooters choose to engage in simulated combat or similar experiences with other shooters, through combat games that utilise non-lethal projectiles, such as light beams, paintballs, or pellets. However, while use of such non-lethal weapons allows two or more live persons to engage in simulated combat—thus, providing the types of unpredictable, improvised targets that traditional target-based shooting ranges have been unable to provide—it does not allow the shooters to experience the use of actual lethal weapons and/or live ammunition in such situations; including the weight, the process of re-loading, the ballistics, the trigger resistance or trigger pull, and the associated recoil when firing such weapons. Thus, even these simulated combat alternatives are still, in many respects, unrealistic experiences.
The following art defines the present state of this field:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,937 to Judd is generally directed to a system for training soldiers in the use of firearms under simulated combat conditions having an enemy representative target and a simulating enemy firearm fire generator to arrest simulated enemy fire in response to the target being shot with a round of live ammunition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,358 to Jones is generally directed to a shooting game that includes programmable flip-up targets spaced along a game course, and sensors associated with the targets that detect the presence of a player near the associated target. A programmable main controller transmits skill level control instructions to each of the target controllers. The target controllers cause the targets to fire paint balls or other items at the player in accordance with the selected skill level. The game may be played indoors or outdoors by one or more players.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,254 to Muehle et al. is generally directed to a weapons training range that provides a simulated weapons use scenario including return fire. A microprocessor selects branches from a multi-branch program and causes an image projector to project subscenarios on a display screen visible to a participant. In response to the subscenarios, the participant fires at projected threats. Return fire simulators positioned behind the display screen return fire toward the participant. Obstructions are placed in the weapons range to provide cover for the participant. A video camera and X-Y position sensor identify the X-Y location of the participant and try to detect exposed portions of the participant. Based upon the identified X-Y location and any detected exposed portions, the microprocessor aims the return fire simulators to provide simulated return fire. To simulate real world aiming, the microprocessor induces time-based and response-based aiming errors. Additionally, the microprocessor may aim the return fire simulators at objects in the participation zone to produce deflected fire that may also strike the participant.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0015116 to Coleman is generally directed to a method of and apparatus for virtual shooting practice comprising a displayed shooting practice image including a target portion and a simulated gun. As the target portion of the image moves relative to the remainder thereof, the simulated gun is moved relative to the displayed image and relative to the moving target portion. Movement of the simulated gun is compared with the movement of the target portion of the displayed image resulting in a determination of whether a “shot” from the gun is a “hit” or a “miss”.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,791,808 to French et al. is generally directed to a system and method for tracking and assessing movement skills in multidimensional space. Accurate simulation of sport to quantify and train performance constructs by employing sensing electronics for determining, in essentially real time, the player's three dimensional positional changes in three or more degrees of freedom (three dimensions); and computer controlled sport specific cuing that evokes or prompts sport specific responses from the player that are measured to provide meaningful indicia of performance. The sport specific cuing is characterized as a virtual opponent that is responsive to, and interactive with, the player in real time. The virtual opponent continually delivers and/or responds to stimuli to create realistic movement challenges for the player
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0277411 to Yee et al. is generally directed to user tracking feedback for providing feedback to a user on an ability of an executing application to track user action for control of the executing application on a computer system. A capture system detects a user in a capture area. Factors in the capture area and the user's actions can adversely affect the ability of the application to determine if a user movement is a gesture which is a control or instruction to the application. One example of such factors is a user being out of the field of view of the capture system. Some other factor examples include lighting conditions and obstructions in the capture area. Responsive to a user tracking criteria not being satisfied, feedback is output to the user. In some embodiments, the feedback is provided within the context of an executing application.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0009241 to Lane et al. is generally directed to a virtual locomotion controller apparatus and methods that combine data obtained from various sensor devices to allow users to control the movements of their representation in a virtual world using sensorimotor responses closely resembling the tasks and actions they would physically perform in the real world. As a result, users can specify an avatar's locomotion style by assuming body postures normally associated with that type of movement, while controlling locomotion speed or displacement through foot forces and/or stepping motions and locomotion direction through foot and body orientation.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,900,927 to Bliehall is generally directed to a small arms training target system including a portable, battery powered, rail guided, motor driven carriage, with stationary and moving targets connected thereto. A target-rotate control device operatively connects an electric motor and rotational arm assembly to rotate and position the target into and out of a field of view. The position is selectable by a remote control, pre-selected program, or when a sensor attached to the target is struck by a sensor. Additionally an obscuring medium is attached to the rotational arm, with a target, having on it an image of a weapon mounted behind the obscuring medium. The position of the obscuring medium is selectable to be in front of the image of a weapon, making the target a no-threat, or not in front of the target, making it a threat.
Thus, the prior art described above teaches systems that essentially provide shooters with two options, both being less than ideal: practice shooting using real, lethal weapons, but at simulated targets; or practice shooting at real, live targets, but using simulated, non-lethal weapons. Aspects of the present invention are directed to solving these problems and provide further related advantages as described in the following summary.